PTSD and Substance Abuse Go Hand-in-Hand

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, hyper-vigilance and nightmares. The worry over another unexpected or uncontrolled trauma makes it hard for PTSD sufferers to live a normal life. To take the edge off, get some sleep, and escape disturbing memories many sufferers reach for alcohol (more than 50 percent) or drugs (above 30 percent). Pretty soon the person with a serious anxiety disorder also has a serious substance abuse disorder. Knowing how to untangle two separate but related disorders requires a skillful approach.

PTSD is usually the result of either experiencing or witnessing a significant trauma that the person felt powerless to prevent. The condition is often associated with combat experiences, but it can also result from undergoing a violent or sexual assault. Even an overwhelming natural disaster can trigger the condition.

The flashbacks associated with PTSD may be the brain’s way of re-creating the traumatic event until it can find some sort of positive resolution. Was there a way to escape being victimized? Did the sufferer make a mistake which invited terror? For women with the condition, sexual abuse is the most common precursor. Combat is a leading factor for men with PTSD.

Using drugs or alcohol to dull the distress of PTSD can make symptoms more severe, according to a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs report. In addition, PDSD suffers who are under the influence are more apt to exhibit high-risk behaviors such as fighting or driving while impaired. Legal problems and trouble at work often follow.

Complicating matters, people with PTSD often feel a sense of shame or guilt, and having a co-existing substance abuse problem can compound the guilt and shame. Seeking treatment will mean letting someone else in to see their deepest sources of embarrassment. This can be an enormous hurdle to overcome and it prevents many from asking for the help they know that they need.